A/N: This was originally an "essay" option I did for my Honors English 10 class, so this is my work, do not copy it. Character list is above if you need it.

The Boss's Little Problem

Rigel was staring forlornly out of the frost covered window while remembering the first time he was called "Boss." It was when he had finally managed to fight his way to the top of Baltimore's leading gang. He killed the old gang leader, Jordan, after six months of fighting his way through the ranks. There were twenty sectors in each rank and there were five ranks. He fought through them all. He remembered all the blood on his hands, all the people he had had to kill to get to this position. He even still remembered the reason why he started all this…

It was my eighteenth birthday and my parents, Adam and Emese, brought Evander the Prophet to me so we could all see what I would make of my life, but instead of telling happy things about my future, he gave a very cryptic prophecy which was that I would end up killing my own father and marrying my mother. This was not what I had expected to get for my birthday. I actually thought that my father would have been letting me join his mafia and fight by his side, but her I am, running from my future… My mother and father didn't know about the prophecy, and I kept it that way. My father was an Italian mafia leader who had moved to New York City and met my mother. So here I am in Baltimore, trying to stay as far away from my parents as possible.

Rigel was shaken out of his thoughts and memories by his wife's hand on his shoulder. "Rigel? Athanasius is waiting in the Practice Room to talk to you. He has also brought a shipment of fifty machine guns and fifty semi-automatic rifles. That would greatly increase our chances of resolving this bitter feud within the ranks," Julitta said quietly to husband of ten years. Rigel was the hierarchy of this unique mafia. Some of the sector leaders within the ranks tried to pretend that they were the leaders, not Rigel. Rigel changed her, now dead, husband's gang, expanded it and changed it for the better, to where they would protect the city, not destroy it. Rigel trained each recruit personally to protect Baltimore and its citizens at any cost, but some thought he was going soft with age so they wreak havoc amongst themselves and the other citizens of Baltimore.

"Thank you, my Love. Would you please go tell him that I shall only be a moment?" Julitta nodded her acutance, smiled softly and left to speak with the Executioner, as Athanasius was sometimes called.

Rigel turned back towards the frost covered window and just stared at a small flake of snow as it slid along the grooves in the frost on the window pane, until his mind was blissfully blank. He stood carefully and made his way, slowly, to the Practice Room where his Executioner waited to speak with him.

"Athanasius," he greeted him with a nod and then got right to the point, "What is so wrong that you would give me two shipments of very high-powered weaponry?"

"You will most likely need them in order to control your sectors. You have heard of the 'squabbles' between them, I would assume?" Rigel nodded his knowledge of the fact. "There have been some civilians caught in the middle of it, as you know," Rigel nodded again. "Well… Three more were caught up in it and killed just two hours ago." Rigel had to control his rage at hearing that three of the people he was sworn to protect, had been killed by his recruits' stupidity. He finally regained control of his emotions. For the moment, he thought to himself.

Ahab, his brother-in-law, walked into the room then. "My brother," Ahab greeted him. "Should we go out hunting for the specific agitator or agitators that began this rebellion?"

Rigel looked at the plain, black, circular clock hanging on the wall. It was a quarter past seven in the evening. "Perhaps that would be wise… Forty-five after is when we shall get them under control again. That will give us just enough time in order to prepare ourselves should they fully revolt against me. Is that okay with you, Brother? Athanasius? Can you both be prepared for a fight in that length of time?" They both nodded that they could and that they agreed with the plan.

Just as the three of them were about to get in Rigel's jeep equipped with heavy artillery, Ryder ran through the garage door, and over to the jeep, breath coming in hard pants from the exertion. "Boss…. I have both…. good and…. bad…. news," he said, still panting in between breaths.

"What is the good news?" Rigel asked quickly.

Ryder took a deep breath and said, "Adam and Emese died a few hours ago, in a gang war of their own…"

Rigel was in shock. He was free… All these years of hiding himself, telling Ahab that if he ever went back there, Ahab was to banish him to Egypt without any of his family near him, or anyone who would care for him, but that would not happen now; he was free! Ahab gently squeezed his shoulder, telling him that he knew what he was thinking and that he should be not only happy but also cautious, because the prophecies are never wrong. All Rigel could think was that he was free, free from that curse that Evander had foreseen.

Ryder spoke again, "There is more Boss… This is the bad part, I am afraid…" Rigel's vivid blue eyes widened in shock, but he nodded for Ryder to continue. "You should probably ask for," Ryder turned a light shade of green, but then continued on bravely, "Julitta to join us…"

Rigel went to the Practice Room where he knew she would be practicing her blade work with her two small blades that were always in sheaths at her wrists, and her broadsword that was in a sheath along her spine with the handle hidden in her hair. "My Love?" he interrupted her. "You and I are both needed in the garage with a few of my men. There is some news that we need to hear."

"OK. Would you hold these for me?" He nodded and she then placed in his hands her pure silver blades and her black leather wrist sheaths. She only kept her broadsword which was once again at her back. They then walked back to the garage hand-in-hand.

"Just listen as I tell you what all has happened…Okay?" Julitta and Rigel nodded. "OK. Now, your real parents knew about the prophecy before you were born, so they gave you to Antonio, your general, Rais, can verify this if the need should arise. Anyway, they gave you to Antonio to kill so none of this would happen, but he had mercy on you and only drove his sword through your left hand, to mark you. Yes, that is the scar from it, and gave you to a family that couldn't have children."

Julitta figured it out before Rigel and screamed, "Say no more, say no more!" broke down crying and swiftly drew her broadsword and plunged the tip of it through her heart, giving a last gasp as she died, her vibrant green eyes glazing over as death settled down upon her.

Rigel, in shock, looked at the two small silver blades he still held, and then looked at what was left of his… "OH MY GODS! I SLEPT WITH MY MOTHER!" he took the two blades and gouged his eyes out, not wanting to see the truth with the very eyes that deceived him. The tatters of what was left of his eye balls hanging halfway down his face, dripping blood like tears, down his cheeks. He turned his now haggard looking face to who he realized now was his uncle, and not his brother. "Please, Ahab, take care of my children, don't raise them as the bastards they now would be… Keep to your promise of banishment; this is not something that would be good for others to know, so keep it only within the family…." He then passed out from being totally overwhelmed with the truth.

Ahab kept to his promise and his nephew's last wish. He kept the order of the ranks the same, but he didn't have to do anything about the feuding ranks, because as soon as Rigel clawed his eyes out the ranks went back to peacefully guarding the city. Everything was at peace in Baltimore, once again, while Rigel was suffering through life until the gods he believed in, finally took his life and eased his pain.

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